Florida Construction News staff writer
Metro Development Group has broken ground on Sunrise Hills, a 1,100-acre master-planned community in Hernando County that is expected to include nearly 4,000 homes, a 2.5-acre lagoon and miles of trails.
The development is planned along Cortez Boulevard near Interstate 75, about 50 miles north of downtown Tampa. The site is near Sherman Hills Golf Course and the Withlacoochee State Trail.DRB Homes, D.R. Horton and Lennar, will build homes in the community.
Plans call for a 2.5-acre lagoon and trails, along with access to nearby shopping, dining and other services. The development’s entrance will feature a redesigned monument with silo-style elements inspired by Brooksville’s Silo Project, reflecting the area’s agricultural character.
“Sunrise Hills represents a significant expansion of our investment in Hernando County,” said Lisa Gibbings, Metro Development Group’s vice-president of corporate affairs. “We’ve listened to buyers and builders who want more than homes.
“They want communities with places to gather, stay active and enjoy the outdoors. Sunrise Hills answers that demand, bringing our inland coastal lifestyle to a 1,100-acre site with three national homebuilders.”
Sunrise Hills adds to Metro’s development activity in Hernando County, where it is also planning Sandal Key, an 872-acre community expected to include more than 3,000 homes. Sandal Key is scheduled to break ground on a lagoon featuring a lazy river in December 2026.
Together, the two developments cover nearly 2,000 acres and are planned for more than 7,200 homes at full buildout.
Metro Development Group’s other master-planned communities in the Tampa Bay region include Mirada, Epperson, Angeline, Southshore Bay and Seaire.
